Visual indicating device

ABSTRACT

A visual indicating device comprising two or more discs ( 1, 2 ) each disc having a radial discontinuity ( 3, 4 ) to thereby form a surface of which the plane progresses in a helical manner, said discs being superposed and interleaved and lying in mutually parallel helical planes, each disc being independently rotatable about a common axis ( 5, 6 ) by drive means ( 20, 22, 30, 31 ) adapted to selectively rotate one ( 1 ) or other ( 2 ) of the discs, whereby the discs, when viewedaxially face on, display overlapping visually contrasting segments having an area or position representative of the relative positions of rotation of the discs and representing a value of a parameter to be displayed by the device.

This invention relates to a visual indicating device and moreparticularly to an analogue device for showing the time or elapse oftime. It is to be understood that the device of this invention may beused generally to indicate various parameters such as are shown oncustomary analogue dial or gauge indicating devices.

In accordance with this invention there is provided a visual indicatingdevice comprising two or more discs each disc having a radialdiscontinuity to thereby form a surface of which the plane progresses ina helical manner, said discs being superposed and interleaved and lyingin mutually parallel helical planes, each disc being independentlyrotatable about a common axis by drive means adapted to selectivelyrotate one or other of the discs, whereby the discs, when viewed axiallyface on, display overlapping visually contrasting segments having anarea or position representative of the relative positions of rotation ofthe discs and representing a value of a parameter to be displayed by thedevice.

One disc may be mounted to extend laterally from a shaft, the other discmay be mounted to extend from the surface of a cylinder in which theshaft rotates. The shaft being mounted coaxially within the cylinderwith the cylinder having a helical slot in the wall thereof and throughwhich the disc mounted on the shaft may extend. Rotation of the shaftrelative to the cylinder producing relative axial movement between theshaft and the cylinder by virtue of the disc riding in the slot in thecylinder and causing the one disc which is overlying the other disc tomask, or expose, the other disc by an extent dependent on the relativepositions of rotation.

An end of the shaft may include a drive, such as an integral cog with anassociated drive means. The shaft being driven during one half arevolution of the drive means, the outer cylinder being driven for theother one half revolution of the drive means. By this means the outercylinder, when held against rotation, moves down telescopically over theshaft during rotation of the latter after which, in a terminal position,the outer cylinder is then rotated to move up over the shaft which isheld against rotation.

The outer cylinder may comprise a barrel member which embraces the innershaft also comprising a coaxially located barrel member. More than twobarrels may be provided functioning within in a similar manner.

This invention is more particularly described with reference to thedrawings showing, in a diagrammatic way, one embodiment of a timeindicating device in accordance with this invention. In the drawings:

FIG. 1. shows two disc parts, separated, which provide the visualindication when interleaved;

FIG. 2. shows the gear assembly parts, separated, which rotates thediscs;

FIG. 3. a) to c) shows an assembled basic device, according to thisinvention, in side view and in three positions of rotation;

FIG. 4. a) to c) shows a detail of the drive gearing, seen from below;

FIG. 5. a) to d) shows the discs, face-on, in four positions ofrotation;

FIG. 6. shows another embodiment of the device in side elevation;

FIG. 7. shows the device of FIG. 6 in an alternative position;

FIG. 8. a) shows the individual barrel components assembled and in sideelevation, and b) to d) show the individual barrel components separatedin side elevation;

FIG. 9. a) to d) show in plan view the barrels and discs attached to thebarrels corresponding in views to FIG. 8;

FIG. 10. a) to d) shows the drive cogs for each barrel in plan viewcorresponding in views to FIG. 8;

FIG. 11. a) to d) shows the drive cogs of FIG. 10 in side elevation;

FIG. 12. a) to h) shows plan views of the discs and the indicationspresented for various times of the day;

FIG. 13. a) to d) show in plan view a more complex arrangement withthree disc and cylinder assemblies to show hours, minutes and seconds,and

FIG. 14. a) to d) show the arrangement of FIG. 13 in side elevation.

The basic principle of this invention is now described with reference toFIGS. 1 to 5. As shown in FIG. 1, the basic device comprises two discs 1and 2 wherein each disc has a radial discontinuity or cut 3 and 4respectively whereby the disc then forms a surface of which the planeprogesses in a helical manner. Disc 1 is mounted on a shaft 5 and disc 2is mounted on a cylinder 6. The cylinder 6 has a helical slot 7 in thewall. The shaft 5 may be passed into the cylinder 6 and the edge 1 a ofthe disc 1 may engage between the opening formed by the edges 2 a and 2b of disc 2 whereby on rotation of disc 1 the edge 1 a may pass betweenthe edges 2 a and 2 b and extend below the disc 2 whilst at the sametime the inner part of the disc moves along the helical slot 7. In thisway both the discs may become superposed and interleaved and thus lie inmutually parallel helical planes with one disc overlying the other asseen in end view looking in direction A. Thus the relative positions ofrotation of the discs 1 and 2 will cause differing exposures of the endfaces of one or other of the discs, such that the relative position ofrotation can be visually appreciated. Thus from a starting positionwhere the edge 1 a is just entering the gap between the edges 2 a and 2b of disc 2, disc 1 a will be fully exposed and as disc 1 a rotates in aclockwise direction the surface of disc 2 will be progressively exposeduntil disc 1 lies wholly beneath disc 2. If disc 2 is then rotated in asimilar clockwise direction the surface will pass beneath the disc 1 toa position where the whole of the surface of disc 1 will again beexposed.

In order to provide for this sequence of progressively covering over thesurface of disc 1 and thereafter uncovering the surface whilstmaintaining a continuous clockwise direction of rotation, shaft 5 ofdisc 1 may be considered as relatively fixed to a base member whereasthe cylinder 6 and disc 2 are free to ride up and down over shaft 5.Thus by rotating shaft 5 in a clockwise direction, cylinder 6 will moveupwards with disc 2 to an initial limit position after one fullrevolution of shaft 5. If at this point shaft 5 is stopped from rotationbut shaft 6 is then rotated in a clockwise direction, disc 1 willprogressively be exposed whilst the cylinder 6 moves downwards on theshaft 5. This sequence will be repeated for as long as shaft 5 andcylinder 6 are sequentially rotated in a clockwise direction withfirstly one revolution of shaft 5 followed by one revolution of cylinder6.

FIG. 2 shows one means of achieving this and there is shown a gear whichhas two portions being a lower portion 20 with a plurality of teeth 21extending around 180° of the circumference and with a second portion 22with a second plurality of teeth 23 extending around the diametricallyopposed 180° of the circumference.

The lower end of shaft 5 includes the gear which engages the gear teeth21 on portion 20 and the cylinder 6 has a similar gear which engages thegear teeth 23 on the portion 22. The gears on shaft 5 and cylinder 6extend around the whole 360° of the circumference but the number ofteeth correspond to the number of teeth on the gear parts 21 and 23.Thus 180° revolution of the gear 20, 22 produces a full revolution ofshaft 5 or cylinder 6. The gear teeth 23 on the portion 22 aresufficiently wide in order that the gear of cylinder 6 may remain inengagement as the cylinder moves longitudinally along shaft 5.

The assembly is shown in FIGS. 3 a to 3 c in side view and as may beseen, a gear 30 is secured to the end of shaft 5 which carries disc 1and a gear 31 is secured around the outside of cylinder 6 which carriesthe disc 2. Referring to FIG. 3 a, as the gear assembly 20, 22 isrotated in an anticlockwise direction seen from above, the teeth 21engage the gear 30 and thus rotate shaft 5 clockwise causing thecylinder 6 to be moved upwardly as disc 1 progressively moves beneathdisc 2. FIG. 3 b shows the position after 90° of revolution of 20, 22and in the position shown in FIG. 3 c the teeth 21 are about todisengage from the gear 30 after 180° revolution of 20/22 and thus 360°revolution of gear 30. At this point, gear teeth 23 now commenceengagement with gear 31 and cylinder 6 is caused to rotate in aclockwise direction (as seen from above) which now causes the cylinder 6to move downardly and thus for disc 2 to move beneath disc 1. After afurther 180° revolution, gear teeth 23 now disengage from gear 31 andgear teeth 21 re-engage with gear 30, thus the sequence of disc coveringand uncovering proceeds continuously for as long as the gear 20, 22 isrotated in the same direction.

In order to prevent friction rotating the the shaft 5 or cylinder 6 whendisengaged from a respective gear part 21 or 22, a ratchet means isprovided (not shown here) or sufficient friction is applied to the shaftor cylinder to prevent rotation. This can conveniently be achievedthrough a thin ratchet blade engaging gear 30 and gear 31 wherebypositive rotation of either part overcomes the bladed force.

FIGS. 4 a, b and c show the gears viewed from below as shown in FIG. 3and in the same relative positions as in FIGS. 3 a, 3 b and 3 c. As maybe seen in FIG. 4 a, the gear teeth 21 are commencing engagement withgear 30, in FIG. 4 b the rotation of shaft 5 is half way through thesequence and in FIG. 4 c the complete revolution of shaft 5 is finishedand gear teeth 23 are now commencing engagement with gear 32 (not shownhere). FIGS. 5 a to 5 d show the discs viewed in the direction of arrowA in FIG. 1, and in FIG. 5 a there is shown the position of the discscorresponding to FIG. 3 a with shaded disc 1 fully overlying unshadeddisc 2. FIG. 5 b shows an intermediate position after approximately 45°of rotation of shaft 5 with a disc 2 being shown partially uncovered.FIG. 5 c corresponds to the position shown in FIG. 3 b, with disc 2 nowuncovered by one half and in FIG. 5 d there is shown the position ofFIG. 3 c with disc 2 now fully uncovered. Further rotation will nowcause disc 1 to emerge from beneath disc 2 and to progressively coverthe surface as gear 31 rotates to move cylinder 6 downwards.

In a practical application for a timepiece, the gears 20, 22 will berotated once every 24 hours. Thus the position shown in FIG. 5 a might,for example, represent midnight, the position shown in FIG. 5 b mightrepresent 3 a.m., the position shown in FIG. 5 c might represent 6 a.m.and the position shown in FIG. 5 d would represent midday, that is withthe whole of disc 2 (the lighter coloured disc) exposed. For the next180° revolution of 20, 21 the unshaded disc would progressively uncoverthe shaded disc and this would then represent time after midday andprogressing up to midnight, where the shaded disc would be fullyexposed.

By this means, the device according to this invention in its basic form,can provide a very quick and readily appreciated visual indication ofthe time, or indeed any other parameter, which requires an indication tobe presented on a time advancing basis.

There now follows a description of further embodiments of this inventionwhich utilise a more practical arrangement having two concentriccylinders, although the principal of operation is as previouslydescribed.

Referring to FIGS. 6 to 11 of the drawings the device has threeconcentric cylinders B01, B02 and B03 forming barrel system B00. Outercylinder B01 is free to slide up and down the inner cylinder B02 which,in turn, is mounted over the central base cylinder B03. The cylindersare all freely and relatively rotatable. The base cylinder B03 forms asupport for the device and may include a mounting means.

Outer cylinder B01 has a base mounted cog B01.1 and inner cylinder B02has a base mounted cog B02.1 forming the barrel and barrel cog systemB00. The cylinder B01 is provided with a helical slot D through thewall, and here shown with two complete turns around the circumference,and a helical disc A01 (forming part of disc system A00) extending oneturn around the circumference medially within the confines of thecircumference defined by the slot and fixed in position to the outersurface of the cylinder.

The inner cylinder B02 also has a single turn disc A02 (forming theother part of disc system A00) arranged so that the disc may extendthrough the slot D. In this arrangement rotating cylinder B01 clockwise(as seen from above) from the position shown in FIG. 1 results in theterminal position shown in FIG. 7 after one full revolution, and viceversa. This action occurs as inner cylinder B02 is stationary and theslot D thus rides down along the discA02.

If, conversely, and from the position of FIG. 7 cog B02.1 rotates innercylinder clockwise then disc A02 is caused to travel down the slot D andthe cylinders thus return to the position of FIG. 6.

The cogs B01.1 and B02.1 are each driven through cogs C01 and C02respectively by a drive C03 forming cog system C00 and turning onerevolution for each twenty four hour period. The cogs C01 and C02 aretwice the diameter of the barrel cogs B01.1 and B02.1 and haveengagement teeth around only one half of the circumference and phased by180°. Thus when the teeth of C01 disengage from B01.1 after twelve hours(position of FIG. 7) the teeth on C02 then engage B02.1 and outercylinder B01 stops rotating and inner cylinder B02 starts rotating backto the FIG. 6 position after an elapse of a further twelve hours.

FIGS. 8 to 11 shown the components in more detail and FIG. 5 b an cshowsthe configuration of the teeth on cogs C01 and C02 more clearly withFIG. 10 a showing the superimposed teeth.

The discs A01 and A02 have contrasting colours and when viewed fromabove the visual aspect is of different colour segments according to therelative rotational positions from which there is an indication of time.FIG. 12A to H shows eight different visual presentations for threehourly times from 12:00 p.m. through 12:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Thisinvolves on revolution of C03 for each twenty four hour period. In analternative arrangement the discs may have different textures, be ofdifferent materials or of different shades or patterns.

FIGS. 13 and 14 are views of a more comprehensive indicating systemshowing three disc systems A01 and A02, A03 and A04, A05 and A06 forhours, minutes and seconds respectively. The hours discs A01 and A02move and provide an indication as previously described. The minutesdiscs A03 and A04 and associated cylinders are located coaxially aroundthe hours discs and the associated mechanism drives the discs in asimilar manner but with the appropriate relative difference in timing.In a similar way the seconds discs A05 and A06 are located with thecylinders coaxially around the minutes and hours cylinders and driven toprovide the correct time relationship.

1. A visual indicating device comprising two or more discs each dischaving a radial discontinuity to thereby form a surface of which theplane progresses in a helical manner, said discs being superposed andinterleaved and lying in mutually parallel helical planes, each discbeing independently rotatable about a common axis by drive means adaptedto selectively rotate one or other of the discs, whereby the discs, whenviewed axially face on, display overlapping visually contrastingsegments having an area or position representative of the relativepositions of rotation of the discs and representing a value of aparameter to be displayed by the device, wherein one disc is mounted toextend laterally from a rotatable shaft, the other disc being mounted toextend laterally from the outer surface of a rotatable cylinder withinwhich the shaft rotates, the shaft being mounted coaxially within thecylinder, with the cylinder having a helical slot through which an innerportion of the one disc adjacent the shaft extends, rotation of theshaft relative to the cylinder producing relative axial movement betweenthe shaft and the cylinder by virtue of the disc moving in the slot inthe cylinder and causing the one disc which is overlying the other discto mask, or expose, the other disc by an extent dependent on therelative positions of rotation.
 2. A device in accordance with claim 1,wherein an end of the shaft is coupled to a drive means, the shaft beingrotated by the drive means to produce a revolution of the shaft, theouter cylinder being coupled to the drive means and rotated by the drivemeans to produce a revolution of the cylinder, the shaft and cylinderbeing sequentially rotated by the drive means.
 3. A device in accordancewith claim 1, wherein an end of the shaft is coupled to a drive means,the shaft being rotated during one half a revolution of the drive meansto produce a revolution of the shaft, the outer cylinder being coupledto the drive means and driven for the other one half revolution of thedrive means to produce a revolution of the cylinder, the shaft andcylinder being sequentially rotated during continuous rotation of thedrive means.
 4. A device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the outercylinder, when held against rotation and not driven, moves downtelescopically over the shaft during rotation of the latter after which,in a terminal position, the outer cylinder is then rotated to move upover the shaft which is held against rotation and not driven, ratchetmeans being preferably provided to permit uni-directional rotation bythe drive means.
 5. A device in accordance with claim 1, wherein theouter cylinder comprises a barrel member which embraces the inner shaftwhich may also comprise a coaxially located barrel member.
 6. A devicein accordance with claim 1, wherein the drive means comprises amechanism which, during operation, selectively engages the shaft for arevolution thereof and then engages the cylinder for a revolutionthereof and in a cyclically continuous manner.
 7. A device in accordancewith claim 6, wherein the mechanism incorporates two superposed gearswith complementary but non-aligned discontinuities in the peripheralteeth, the arrangement being such that teeth on one gear engage theshaft to drive same during part of a revolution and during which theteeth on the other gear are not in engagement with the cylinder whichremains stationary.
 8. A device in accordance with claim 1, modified inthat drive means are coupled to the shaft and to the cylinder, eachdrive means being independently operated to rotate the shaft andcylinder to provide a differential indication of the relative positionsof the drive means.
 9. A device in accordance with claim 1, wherein morethan two cylinders are provided, the cylinders being nestedtelescopically and each including a disc, the disc of a inner barrelpassing through a slot in an outer barrel.
 10. A device in accordancewith claim 1, wherein a plurality of shaft and cylinder assemblies arelocated in axial alignment one above the other and arranged so that anedge at least of an underlying pair of discs is visible beneath anuppermost disc, whereby the totality of visible contrasting segments ofthe discs collectively represent a parameter to be displayed.
 11. Adevice in accordance with claim 1, wherein the parameter to be displayedcomprises time, either elapsed or absolute, each disc being rotated overa revolution equal to a conventional time period, such as twenty four ortwelve hours or one minute, the relative positions of rotation of thediscs and the angular zones displayed thus displaying a portion of thetime period.